8:1

הֲלֹא־חָכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָהּ׃

Doth not wisdom call, And understanding put forth her voice?

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8:2

בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרוֹמִים עֲלֵי־דָרֶךְ בֵּית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּבָה׃

In the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth;

8:3

לְיַד־שְׁעָרִים לְפִי־קָרֶת מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹנָּה׃

Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud:

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8:4

אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקוֹלִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אָדָם׃

’Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

8:5

הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עָרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵב׃

O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, And, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

8:6

שִׁמְעוּ כִּי־נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִים׃

Hear, for I will speak excellent things, And the opening of my lips shall be right things.

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8:7

כִּי־אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶשַׁע׃

For my mouth shall utter truth, And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8:8

בְּצֶדֶק כָּל־אִמְרֵי־פִי אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ׃

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness, There is nothing perverse or crooked in them.

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8:9

כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין וִישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָעַת׃

They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge.

8:10

קְחוּ־מוּסָרִי וְאַל־כָּסֶף וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָר׃

Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.

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8:11

כִּי־טוֹבָה חָכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל־חֲפָצִים לֹא יִשְׁווּ־בָהּ׃

For wisdom is better than rubies, And all things desirable are not to be compared unto her.

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8:12

אֲ‍נִי־חָכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עָרְמָה וְדַעַת מְזִמּוֹת אֶמְצָא׃

I wisdom dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge of devices.

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8:13

יִרְאַת יְהוָה שְׂנֹאת רָע גֵּאָה וְגָאוֹן וְדֶרֶךְ רָע וּפִי תַהְפֻּכוֹת שָׂנֵאתִי׃

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the froward mouth, do I hate.

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8:14

לִי־עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָה׃

Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine.

8:15

בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלֹכוּ וְרוֹזְנִים יְחֹקְקוּ צֶדֶק׃

By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.

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8:16

בִּי שָׂרִים יָשֹׂרוּ וּנְדִיבִים כָּל־שֹׁפְטֵי צֶדֶק׃

By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

8:17

אֲנִי אהביה [אֹהֲבַי] אֵהָב וּמְשַׁחֲרַי יִמְצָאֻנְנִי׃

I love them that love me, And those that seek me earnestly shall find me.

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8:18

עֹשֶׁר־וְכָבוֹד אִתִּי הוֹן עָתֵק וּצְדָקָה׃

Riches and honour are with me; Yea, enduring riches and righteousness.

8:19

טוֹב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָר׃

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my produce than choice silver.

8:20

בְּאֹרַח־צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּך בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת מִשְׁפָּט׃

I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice;

8:21

לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא׃

That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries.

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8:22

יְהוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז׃

The LORD made me as the beginning of His way, The first of His works of old.

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8:23

מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָרֶץ׃

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Or ever the earth was.

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8:24

בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי בְּאֵין מַעְיָנוֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָיִם׃

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; When there were no fountains abounding with water.

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8:25

בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הָטְבָּעוּ לִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי׃

Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth;

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8:26

עַד־לֹא עָשָׂה אֶרֶץ וְחוּצוֹת וְרֹאשׁ עָפְרוֹת תֵּבֵל׃

While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.

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8:27

בַּהֲכִינוֹ שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָנִי בְּחוּקוֹ חוּג עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם׃

When He established the heavens, I was there; When He set a circle upon the face of the deep,

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8:28

בְּאַמְּצוֹ שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל בַּעֲזוֹז עִינוֹת תְּהוֹם׃

When He made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep showed their might,

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8:29

בְּשׂוּמוֹ לַיָּם חֻקּוֹ וּמַיִם לֹא יַעַבְרוּ־פִיו בְּחוּקוֹ מוֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ׃

When He gave to the sea His decree, That the waters should not transgress His commandment, When He appointed the foundations of the earth;

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8:30

וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים יוֹם יוֹם מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכָל־עֵת׃

Then I was by Him, as a nursling; And I was daily all delight, Playing always before Him,

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8:31

מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצוֹ וְשַׁעֲשֻׁעַי אֶת־בְּנֵי אָדָם׃

Playing in His habitable earth, And my delights are with the sons of men.

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8:32

וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַשְׁרֵי דְּרָכַי יִשְׁמֹרוּ׃

Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; For happy are they that keep my ways.

8:33

שִׁמְעוּ מוּסָר וַחֲכָמוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָעוּ׃

Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not.

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8:34

אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַ לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל־דַּלְתֹתַי יוֹם יוֹם לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָי׃

Happy is the man that hearkeneth to me, Watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

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8:35

כִּי מֹצְאִי מצאי [מָצָא] חַיִּים וַיָּפֶק רָצוֹן מֵיְהוָה׃

For whoso findeth me findeth life, And obtaineth favour of the LORD.

8:36

וְחֹטְאִי חֹמֵס נַפְשׁוֹ כָּל־מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָוֶת׃

But he that misseth me wrongeth his own soul; All they that hate me love death.’